Kendrick Lamar‘s historic Super Bowl halftime show performance back in February was disrupted by a protester which has now led to an arrest.
Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a 41-year-old man from New Orleans, was employed as a performer for the show and apparently went off script when he retrieved the flag of Sudan that was printed with the words “Free Gaza”.
Nantambu then ran across the field with the flag before he was taken into custody by security personnel.
While Natambu had permission to be on the field, he did not have permission to demonstrate.
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Following an investigation, an arrest warrant was issued and Nantambu voluntarily surrendered himself into custody.
He was subsequently booked on the charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace.
Nantambu is yet to issue a statement regarding his arrest while Kendrick himself has never addressed the incident.
The NFL said in a statement: “We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. In addition to the ongoing criminal case, the NFL banned the individual from attending any NFL games or events.”
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Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance was the most watched in the history of the event.
According to newly-released stats, the Apple Music-sponsored show brought in a whopping 133.5 million viewers – up three percent from last year’s show with Usher.
Michael Jackson previously held the record with 133 million viewers at the 1993 Super Bowl.
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Additionally, FOX Sports confirmed that the game itself was also the most watched Super Bowl in history with an average of 126 million viewers tuned in as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs. They peaked at 135.7 million viewers occurred around the game’s second quarter.
The show mostly made headlines for the repeated jabs Kendrick took at Drake throughout the show.
During his performance of “Not Like Us”, Kendrick self-censored the “certified pedophile” line but smirked to the camera as he rapped: “Say Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any [bitch] that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him.”
